INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
ITU-T
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
OF ITU
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION STANDARDIZATION
ASSEMBLY
Dubai, 20-29 November 2012
Resolution 79 – The role of telecommunications/
information and communication technologies in
handling and controlling e-waste from
telecommunication and information technology
equipment and methods of treating it
CAUTION !
PREPUBLISHED RESOLUTION
This prepublication is an unedited version of a recently approved Resolution. It will
be replaced by the published version after editing. Therefore, there will be differences
between this prepublication and the published version.
FOREWORD
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency in the field of
telecommunications, information and communication technologies (ICTs). The ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is a permanent organ of ITU. ITU-T is responsible for studying technical,
operating and tariff questions and issuing Recommendations on them with a view to standardizing
telecommunications on a worldwide basis.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA), which meets every four years,
establishes the topics for study by the ITU-T study groups which, in turn, produce Recommendations on
these topics.
 ITU 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the
prior written permission of ITU.
RESOLUTION 79
The role of telecommunications/information and communication technologies in
handling and controlling e-waste from telecommunication and information
technology equipment and methods of treating it
(Dubai, 2012)
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (Dubai, 2012),
recalling
a)
Resolution 182 (Guadalajara, 2010) of the Plenipotentiary Conference, on the role of
telecommunications/information and communication technologies (ICT) in regard to climate
change and the protection of the environment;
b)
Resolution 66 (Hyderabad, 2010) of the World Telecommunication Development
Conference, on information and communication technology and climate change;
c)
§ 19 of the Hyderabad Declaration (2010), stating that the formulation and
implementation of policies for proper disposal of e-waste are of great importance;
d)
the Basel Convention (March, 1989) on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, which characterizes certain wastes resulting from electrical
and electronic assemblies as hazardous;
e)
§ 20 of Action Line C7 (E-environment) of the Geneva Plan of Action of the World
Summit on the Information Society (Geneva, 2003), calling for governments, civil society and the
private sector to be encouraged to initiate actions and implement projects and programmes for
sustainable production and consumption and the environmentally safe disposal and recycling of
discarded hardware and components used in ICT;
f)
the Nairobi Declaration on the Environmentally Sound Management of Electrical and
Electronic Waste, and the adoption by the ninth Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
of the Work Plan for the Environmentally Sound Management of E-waste, focusing on the needs of
developing countries1,
considering
a)
that, owing to the progress in telecommunications and information technology,
consumption of and demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has been continuously
increasing and this in turn has led to a marked increase in the amount of e-waste, which has had a
negative impact on the environment and health, particularly in the developing countries;
b)
that ITU and relevant stakeholders (such as the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Basel
Convention) have a key role in strengthening coordination between interested parties to study the
effects of e-waste;
_____________
1
These include the least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked
developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
WTSA-2012 – Resolution 79 – Prepublished version
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c)
Recommendation ITU-T L.1000 of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector
(ITU-T), on the universal power adapter and charger solution for mobile terminals and other
handheld ICT devices, and Recommendation ITU-T L.1100, on the procedure for recycling rare
metals in ICT goods,
recognizing
a)
that governments have an important role to play in limiting e-waste by formulating
appropriate strategies, policies and legislation;
b)
e-waste;
that telecommunications/ICT can make a major contribution to alleviating the impact of
c)
ongoing work and studies in ITU-T Study Group 5 under Question [P]/5, on
environmental protection and recycling of ICT equipment/facilities;
d)
ongoing work and studies in Study Group 1 of the Telecommunication Development
Sector (ITU-D) under Question 24/1, on strategies and policies for the proper disposal or reuse of
telecommunication/ICT waste material,
recognizing further
a)
that large quantities of used, old, obsolete and unserviceable telecommunication/ICT
hardware and equipment are exported to developing countries for supposed reuse;
b)
that many developing countries are suffering from severe environmental hazards, such
as water pollution and health risks, due to e-waste, for which they may not be responsible,
resolves to instruct the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, in
collaboration with the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
1
to pursue and strengthen the development of ITU activities in regard to handling and
controlling e-waste from telecommunication and information technology equipment and methods of
treating it;
2
to assist developing countries to undertake proper assessment of the size of e-waste;
3
to address the handling and controlling of e-waste and to contribute to global efforts
designed to deal with the increasing hazards which arise therefrom;
4
to work in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, including academia and relevant
organizations, and to coordinate activities relating to e-waste among the ITU study groups, focus
groups and other relevant groups;
5
to organize seminars and workshops to enhance awareness of the hazards of e-waste and
the methods of treating it, particularly in developing countries, and gauge the needs of the
developing countries, which are the countries that suffer most from the hazards of e-waste,
instructs ITU-T Study Group 5, in collaboration with the relevant ITU study groups
1
to develop and document examples of best practice for handling and controlling e-waste
resulting from telecommunications/ICT and methods of treating and recycling it, for dissemination
among ITU Member States and Sector Members;
2
to develop Recommendations, methodologies and other publications relating to
handling and controlling e-waste resulting from telecommunications/ICT and methods of treating it,
within the relevant study groups, focus groups and other relevant groups in ITU, in order, in
particular, to foster awareness of the environmental hazards of e-waste;
2
WTSA-2012 – Resolution 79 – Prepublished version
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to study the impact of used telecommunication/ICT equipment and products brought
into developing countries and give appropriate guidance, taking into account recognizing further
above, to assist developing countries,
invites Member States
1
to take all necessary measures to handle and control e-waste in order to mitigate the
hazards which can arise from used telecommunication/ICT equipment;
2
to cooperate with each other in this area;
3
to include e-waste management policies in their national ICT strategies,
encourages Member States, Sector Members and academia
to participate actively in ITU-T studies on e-waste, through the submission of contributions and by
other appropriate means.
WTSA-2012 – Resolution 79 – Prepublished version
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